In many applications it is desirable that ropes have an identifying indicia located near their end, for example, when ropes are used to ascend or descend a rock wall, a mountain, a building or the like, a single rope may not be long enough to cover the entire distance. In this situation it is desirable that the rope have such an indicia located at or near its ends to inform the user that he is approaching the end of the rope so that he will not accidentally become separated from the rope. One way this is accomplished is by placing one or more knots in the rope at or near its lower end. This is effective, but it is a manual solution. Forgetting to tie knots at the ends of the ropes can be disastrous. In addition some climbers choose not to tie knots at the ends of their ropes, for fear that a knot will cause the rope to become stuck on an obstruction. When climbing, a climber ties into the end of the rope. If the knot they use for this is too close to the end of the rope or is inadvertently not tightened, it could work its way off of the end of the rope.